About Floor Exercises
Most of the remaining exercises are done on the floor and stretch some very important muscle groups. If you are afraid to lie on the floor to exercise because you think you won’t be able to get back up, consider using the buddy system to do these. Find a buddy who will be able to help you.Knowing the right way to get into a lying position on the floor and to get back up also may be helpful. If you have had a hip replacement, check with your surgeon before using the following method. If you have osteoporosis,check with your doctor first.
To get into a lying position:
Stand next to a very sturdy chair that won’t tip over (put chair against wall for support if you need to).Put your hands on the seat of the chair.Lower yourself down on one knee.Bring the other knee down. Put your left hand on the floor and lean on it as you bring your left hip to the floor.Your weight is now on your left hip.Straighten your legs out. Lie on your left side. Roll onto your back.Note: You don’t have to use your left side. You can use your right side, if you prefer.
To get up from a lying position:
Roll onto your left side. Use your right hand, placed on the floor at about the level of your ribs, to push your shoulders off the floor.Your weight is on your left hip. Roll forward, onto your knees, leaning on your hands for support. Lean your hands on the seat of the chair you used to lie down. Lift one of your knees so that one leg is bent, foot flat on the floor. Leaning your hands on the seat of the chair for support, rise from this position. Note: You don’t have to use your left side; you can reverse positions, if you prefer.
Examples of Stretching Exercises
Hamstrings :Stretches muscles in the back of the thigh.
1. Sit sideways on bench or other hard surface (such as two chairs placed side by side).
2. Keep one leg stretched out on bench, straight, toes pointing up.
3. Keep other leg off of bench, with foot flat on floor.
4. Straighten back.
5. If you feel a stretch at this point, hold the position for 10 to 30 seconds.
6. If you don’t feel a stretch, lean forward from hips (not waist) until you feel stretching in leg on bench, keeping back and shoulders straight. Omit this step if you have had a hip replacement, unless surgeon/therapist approves.
7. Hold position for 10 to 30 seconds.
8. Repeat with other leg.
9. Repeat 3 to 5 times on each side.
Alternative Hamstrings Stretch :Stretches muscles in the back of the thigh.
1. Stand behind chair, holding the back of it with both hands.
2. Bend forward from the hips (not waist), keeping back and
shoulders straight at all times.
3. When upper body is parallel to floor, hold position for 10 to 30
seconds. You should feel a stretch in the backs of your thighs.
4. Repeat 3 to 5 times.
Calves:Stretches lower leg muscles in two ways: with knee straight and knee bent.
1. Stand with hands against wall, arms outstretched and elbows straight.
2. Keeping your left knee slightly bent, toes of right foot slightly turned inward, step back 1-2 feet with right leg, heel, and foot flat on floor. You should feel a stretch in your calf muscle, but you shouldn’t feel uncomfortable. If you don’t feel a stretch,move your foot farther back until you do.
3. Hold position for 10 to 30 seconds.
4. Bend knee of right leg, keep heel and foot flat on floor.
5. Hold position for another 10 to 30 seconds.
6. Repeat with left leg.
7. Repeat 3 to 5 times for each leg.
Ankles:Stretches front ankle muscles.
1. Remove your shoes. Sit toward the front edge of a chair and lean back, using pillows to support your back.
2. Stretch legs out in front of you.
3. With your heels still on the floor, bend ankles to point feet toward you.
4. Bend ankles to point feet away from you.
5. If you don’t feel the stretch, repeat with your feet slightly off the floor.
6. Hold the position for 1 second.
7. Repeat 3 to 5 times.
Knee FlexionStrength Exercises
Knee Flexion
Strengthens muscles in back of thigh. Use ankle weights, if you are ready.
1. Stand straight holding onto a table or chair for balance.
2. Slowly bend knee as far as possible. Don’t move your upper leg at all; bend your knee only.
3. Hold position for 1 second.
4. Slowly lower foot all the way back down. Pause.
5. Repeat with other leg.
6. Alternate legs until you have done 8 to 15 repetitions with each leg.
7. Rest; then do another set of 8 to 15 alternating repetitions.
Hip Flexion
Strengthens thigh and hip muscles. Use ankle weights,if you are ready.
1. Stand straight to the side or behind a chair or table,holding on for balance.
2. Slowly bend one knee toward chest, without bending waist or hips.
3. Hold position for 1 second.
4. Slowly lower leg all the way down. Pause.
5. Repeat with other leg.
6. Alternate legs until you have done 8 to 15 repetitions with each leg.
7. Rest; then do another set of 8 to 15 alternating repetitions.
Shoulder Flexion
Strengthens shoulder muscles.
1. Sit in armless chair with your back supported by back of chair.
2. Keep feet flat on floor even with your shoulders.
3. Hold hand weights straight down at your sides,with palms facing inward.
4. Raise both arms in front of you (keep them straight and rotate so palms face upward) to shoulder height.
5. Hold position for 1 second.
6. Slowly lower arms to sides. Pause.
7. Repeat 8 to 15 times.
8. Rest; then do another set of 8 to 15 repetitions.
Knee Extension
Strengthens muscles in front of thigh and shin.Use ankle weights, if you are ready.
1. Sit in chair. Only the balls of your feet and your toes should rest on the floor. Put rolled towel under knees, if needed, to lift your feet. Rest your hands on your thighs or on the sides of the chair.
2. Slowly extend one leg in front of you as straight as possible.
3. Flex foot to point toes toward head.
4. Hold position for 1 to 2 seconds.
5. Slowly lower leg back down. Pause.
6. Repeat with other leg.
7. Alternate legs until you have done 8 to 15 repetitions with each leg.
8. Rest; then do another set of 8 to 15 alternating repetitions.
How to Improve Your Endurance
Endurance exercises are any activity —walking, jogging, swimming, raking —that increases your heart rate and breathing for an extended period of time.
How Much, How Often
Build up your endurance gradually,starting out with as little as 5 minutes of endurance activities at a time, if you need to.Starting out at a lower level of effort and working your way up gradually is especially important if you have been inactive for a long time. It may take months to go from a very long-standing sedentary lifestyle to doing some of the activities suggested in this section. Your goal is to work your way up, eventually, to a moderate-to-vigorous level that increases your breathing and heart rate. It should feel somewhat hard to you (level 13 on the Borg scale).Once you reach your goal, you can divide your exercise into sessions of no less than 10 minutes at a time, if you want to, as long as they add up to a total of a minimum of 30 minutes at the end of the day. Doing less than 10 minutes at a time won’t give you the desired cardiovascular and respiratory system benefits.Your goal is to build up to a minimum of 30 minutes of endurance exercise on most or all days of the week. More often is better, and every day is best.
Safety
Endurance activities should not make you breathe so hard that you can’t talk. They should not cause dizziness or chest pain.Do a little light activity before and after your endurance exercise session, to warm up and cool down (example: easy walking). Stretch after your endurance activities,when your muscles are warm. As you get older, your body may become less likely to trigger the urge to drink when you need water. In other words, you may need water, but you won’t feel thirsty. Be sure to drink liquids when you are doing any activity that makes you lose fluid through sweat. The rule of thumb is that, by the time you notice you are thirsty, you are already somewhat dehydrated (low on fluid). This guideline is important year-round, but is especially important in hot weather, when dehydration is more likely. If your doctor has asked you to limit your fluids, be sure to check with him or her before increasing the amount of fluid you drink while exercising. Congestive heart failure and kidney disease are examples of chronic diseases that often require fluid restriction. Older adults can be affected by heat and cold more than other adults. In extreme cases, exposure to too much heat can cause heat stroke, and exposure to very cold temperatures can lead to hypothermia (a dangerous drop in body temperature). If you are exercising outdoors, dress in layers so you can add or remove clothes as needed. Use safety equipment to prevent injuries. For example, wear a helmet for bicycling, and wear protective equipment for activities like skiing and skating. If you walk or jog, wear stable shoes made for that purpose.
Progressing
When you are ready to progress, build up the amount of time you spend doing endurance activities first; then build up the difficulty of your ctivities later. Example:First, gradually increase your time to 30 minutes over several days to weeks (or even months, depending on your condition) by walking longer distances, then start walking up steeper hills or walking more briskly
How to Keep Exercising
For many older adults, motivation to keep exercising and doing physical activities isn’t a problem. They say that regular physical activity makes them feel so much better that it would be hard to stop. Others say that, while physical activity makes them feel better, a little extra motivation helps them get going. For example,Georgia Burnette, 68, of Amherst, New York, told us that she used to put on headphones and listen to recorded books borrowed from the library to make her 40-minute walks more interesting. Now, she mall-walks for an hour,5 days a week, with a friend. Having that companionship is a good motivator, says Ms. Burnette.
Physical activity needs to be a regular, permanent habit to produce benefits. So does staying motivated! Recording your scores and watching them improve can be an excellent motivator to exercise, and we have included charts at the end of this booklet so you can do that.But don’t get discouraged if you see that your scores have improved by only a few seconds or just one or two lifts of a weight. In terms of real-life benefits, those slight improvements are multiplied many times over as you include them in your everyday activities. You incorporate hat extra little bit of endurance and strength into everything you do, and it adds up to a lot. But no matter how enthusiastic you are about exercise, there may be times when you need extra motivation. It’s common for beginning exercisers, especially those who are frail, to make fast progress at first. You might get discouraged when the improvements you were making taper off at times.
When you need extra motivation, try the following:
Ask someone to be your exercise buddy.Many older adults agree that having someone to exercise with helps keep them going.Follow Georgia Burnette’s advice: Listen to recorded books or music while you do endurance activities. Set a goal, and decide on a reward you will get when you reach it. Give yourself physical activity homework assignments for the next day or the next week. Think of your exercise sessions as appointments, and mark them on your calendar. Keep a record of what you do and of your progress. Understand that there will be times that you don’t show rapid progress and that you are still benefiting from your activities during those times.Plan ahead for travel, bad weather, and house guests. For example, an exercise video can help you exercise indoors when the weather is bad.
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